“I have control over only so much and I surrender to that.”
Equanimity is about having balance, level-headedness and calmness of spirit. It is approaching all situations and rising above them, realizing their temporary nature and working through them whether they be good or bad. Equanimity imbalanced can either appear as out of control and hysterical, or completely oblivious and apathetic. Achieving a middle ground of equanimity is ideal, as it is the means by which we can go from situation to situation with grace.
When something challenging happens, quote the memory phrase before reacting.
View a challenge as a test and score high by staying calm.
React to an unpleasant situation by finding the positive in it and speaking it.
Meditation
Daily Questions
What tests did you encounter today?
Were there any surprises today that caught you off guard? Were they based on some pre-set expectations you had? How did you handle them?
Think of several good things that happened today. What was your reaction to them compared to the difficult things?
If you were unsettled today by something, what did you do to get yourself balanced? What worked and what didn't?
Were you able to use prayer or meditation to calm your soul?
Featured Articles
Quotables
A person who has mastered peace of mind has gained everything. --Rabbi Simcha Zissel Ziv, the Alter of Kelm
As long as one lives a life of calmness and tranquility in the service of God, it is clear that he is remote from true service. -- Rabbi Yisrael Salanter
The essence of a person of faith is equanimity. -- Rabbi Bachya ibn Pakuda, Duties of the Heart
A person who has mastered peace of mind has gained everything. -- Rabbi Simcha Zissel Ziv
Rise above events that are inconsequential - both bad and good for they are not worth disturbing your equanimity. -- Rabbi M.M. Lefin, Cheshbon HaNefesh
Let the honor of your fellow man be as dear to you as your own, and do not be easily moved to anger. --Talmud, Avot 2:15
As long as a man's mind is settled, his intellectual spirit stands guard, spreading its light upon his mind as if it were a torch atop the edifice of his body. -- Rabbi M.M. Lefin, Cheshbon HaNefesh
One of the beloved of God is a person who does not manifest anger. -- Pesachim 113b
Neither sourdough nor honey should be brought on the Altar as an offering to God. -- Leviticus 2:11
Apparently, God does not like anything too sour or too sweet. -- Rabbi of Kotzk
There is no greater illness than despair. -- Rabbi Yisrael Salanter
When you reach the end of your rope, tie a knot in it and hang on. -- Thomas Jefferson
Anxiety weighs down the heart, but a kind word cheers it up. --Mishlei 12:25
Kites rise highest against the wind, not with it. --Winston Churchill
If a person's heart is heavy with worry, let him unburden himself to other people. -- Yoma 75a
Better a patient person than a warrior, one with self-control than one who takes a city. -- Mishlei 16:32
A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones. -- Mishlei 17:22